Madam, - Your Editorial, "Maritime matters" (Nov 26th), reflects some of the frustrations felt by trade associations, organisations and companies who have to deal on an ongoing basis with matters marine. Your excellent Editorial, however, does not cover the entire maritime family as you have made no mention of marine leisure. Marine leisure has simply disappeared off the radar in the last Government reshuffle of responsibilities.
This sector is worth in excess of €600 million per annum to the Irish economy yet the Department of Communications and Natural Resources no longer has responsibility for this area and no other Government department seems willing to take it on.
The Marine Institute no longer contributes to support or provide research for this maritime sector although it has developed a marine leisure development strategy embracing all the stakeholders at State and semi-state level. This strategy has yet to be officially launched and to date the Department of Arts Sport and Tourism has failed to take on this responsibility. In the meanwhile this important sector has no champion at cabinet level.
The EU in its White Paper on European Maritime Affairs sees marine leisure as an important replacement for a declining fishing industry yet we in Ireland, an island nation, continue to turn our backs to the sea. You are quite correct in stating that a truncated marine policy leads to a lack of focus but more importantly Ireland is not realising the potential of one of its major natural resources and continues to ignore the sea in all its aspects.
Anyone who has had dealings with the Foreshore Act 1933 will testify that rather than leading to developer-led pressure, as you imply, quite the opposite will be the case as dealing with this out of date and less than transparent Act is frustrating and time-consuming. Regardless of which department has responsibility, until this Act is reviewed nothing is going to change. - Yours, etc,
STEVE CONLON, Irish Marine Federation, Baggot Street, Dublin 2.